February 25th, 2013
- Fibre-sensing solution to be deployed along BPCL’s Bijwasan pipeline
- New technologies allows more sophisticated data management and detection
Real-time intelligence company OptaSense, a QinetiQ company, today announces that, following a proven track record of operating in India, it has been contracted by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to protect the Bijwasan pipeline in India. The pipeline is owned and operated by Indian state-controlled oil and gas company BPCL, and runs from Kota, Rajastan to Mathura, a city in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The contract with OptaSense is for its Third Party Intervention (TPI) application, and has been awarded through the Indian subsidiary of OptaSense’s distribution partner, Optilan. The project will protect approximately 200 km of pipeline and BPCL will be implementing the system on further pipeline lengths upon successful completion of this phase. When completed the system will comprise approximately 20,000 virtual microphones along the pipeline and brings the total amount of pipeline monitored in India to approx. 1,000km making OptaSense by far the largest operator in the region.
OptaSense are worldwide leaders in creating distributed fibre sensing solutions, which use existing fibre-optic cables running alongside pipelines and other installed infrastructure to act as virtual microphones. These microphones are monitored and analysed in real-time, to allow users to ‘hear’ if pipeline are under threat – the real time nature of the system will enable BPCL to prevent damage to their pipeline increasing the assurance of product supply.
Bal Kler, Sales Director for Optilan, commented: “Pipeline integrity and safety is always of the highest importance to our customers, and we are pleased BPCL have chosen the most commercially advanced solution. The award follows on from our successful delivery of other pipeline security projects in India, such as the Mangala Development Pipeline (MDP) operated by Cairn India which was commissioned in 2012, and further cements our strategic commitment to expanding our existing local capability, through our Optilan India subsidiary”.
Magnus McEwen-King, Managing Director for OptaSense, said: “Our latest contract, with BPCL, shows both the confidence being expressed in OptaSense for pipeline protection by the Indian government, and as a result of the rigorous processes engaged during the assessment phase is further recognition by the best scientists and engineers from BPCL, that we deliver the highest standards and the strongest technical solution.
“We pride ourselves on our unrivalled ability to put meaningful data in our customers’ hands, and the BPCL deal means we now protect approx. 1,000 km of pipeline asset in India alone. We look forward to providing BPCL with real-time intelligence data which will help to protect this important pipeline, and to bringing in and securing new jobs and investment locally.”
OptaSense delivers an unrivalled pipeline integrity management solution, through analysing a range of data analysis modules where typically operators have traditionally had to rely on only one data measurement per sensor, OptaSense combines a number of data points. For example, OptaSense is able to simultaneously measure pipeline temperature change; acoustic fingerprint; negative pressure waves; and ground heave – all of which combine to provide an unrivalled complete pipeline integrity management tool.
As well as providing midstream applications in pipeline security and condition monitoring, OptaSense also provides upstream applications such as seismic and well monitoring, and other solutions for the transport, borders and military industries. OptaSense is a QinetiQ company.
